Students at the Athenaeum of Ohio, a graduate school of theology in Mount Washington, said they were excited that the new pope was from outside of Europe.

“We are a universal church, not just a European church, and I think that the idea that now a great number of Catholics in the world live in Central and South America, you see the church growing in Africa, and there is life there," Fr. Hernandez said.

Students at St. Ursula Academy were in class when they received word that white smoke was billowing from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel.

“It feels a lot more appropriate when it’s in religion class because you can talk about it and they'll stop everything just so you can watch this and watch history happening,” student Sarah Fenno said.

“We all were told just to kind of watch for the smoke and she warned us that it was probably going to be black just because it was new, and somebody turned around and said, 'It's white smoke,' so we all kind of huddled around and watched and then we got to go tell all the other religion classes what was going on and we looked and they were all watching it and it was fun to see. Everyone was so excited,” Anna McManus said.

As a cardinal, Bergoglio was known for modernizing the Catholic Church in South America. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope.

"He's the first Jesuit pope ever, so I'm sure the Jesuits are celebrating," Athenaeum Cincinnati Father Ted Ross said.

"When I heard the news that a Jesuit brother of mine would be the next pope, I was completely stunned. As were many people, it seems, from whom I began to hear very quickly,” Xavier University President Michael Graham said.

Praying for the new pope is what many did inside St. Peter in Chains Church. Elsmere resident Veronica Rose wondered if the first Latin American pope will bring changes.

"He's a Jesuit, a little more liberal than I'm used to, but that's OK," Rose said.

A mass is scheduled at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in honor of Pope Francis on March 19. A Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington is planned March 21.